10 Questions You Must Ask Before Presenting Your Business Plan

Your business plan could be the seed that launches your next invention. But presenting a winning plan isn’t easy. Everything starts somewhere and you need to ask some probing questions before you ever present your business plan. These are the ten questions you must ask before going any further.

1. Are these the right people?

Consider whether you’re even presenting your business plan to the right people in the first place. Even the best business idea will fall flat if the people listening were never interested to begin with. The makers of the Pokémon Go craze wouldn’t have presented their idea to a group of accountants, would they?

2. How is it going to make money?

It’s amazing how so many entrepreneurs miss this part. Yes, the business idea might be intriguing, but it ultimately must make money. Anyone who’s going to invest in your business wants to know how they’re going to get their money back.

3. Is it practical?

So many business ideas simply aren’t practical. If they worked they could change the industry, but the foundations aren’t there to make those ideas a reality. Consider whether now is the right time for your idea to flourish. This is why entrepreneurs are starting to embrace augmented reality only now.

4. What’re the long-term prospects?

Investors aren’t there to make a quick buck. They want a business, not a fad. Don’t just talk about your business idea. Talk about the sustainability of your business idea. Think about whether your idea is still going to be there five years from now.

5. How does it fit in with the rest of the industry?

Unless your idea is truly unique, and the chances are it isn’t, you need to think about where it’s going to fit in. One of the dumbest policies you need to ditch is assuming you’re special. 99% of business ideas fit in with already existing companies. Explain how yours fits in and what makes it stand out from the rest.

6. Is your valuation realistic?

Nothing turns off an investor more than an overoptimistic entrepreneur. Your idea might be worth a million dollars to you, but in the real world that is far from the case. Give some serious thought to whether your valuation is realistic. What is it based on? Will it maintain that value? Is it going to grow in value?

7. Who’s running the show and what do they bring to the table?

Anyone listening to your business plan wants to know who’s involved. They want to know the professionals who’re in the key decision-making positions. Employing friends and family won’t inspire confidence. You need to make it clear that you’ve brought in expertise to execute your idea.

To give investors confidence, you need the right people around you.

8. Where is the income going to come from?

Define the economics of your business in clear terms. These upcoming startups all have clearly defined revenue streams, with specific pricing plans and exactly what customers get from those plans. Be as specific as possible about what customers are going to buy and how that can be scaled up.

9. What’s the minimum you need to get started?

The average entrepreneur wants as much money as possible to get started. The average investor wants to invest the minimum amount of money to get your business started. Don’t ask for huge sums. Ask for what you need to get started and be clear about what you need the money for.

You can always ask for more capital later, and if you intend to do so, make this clear in your business plan.

10. How is this plan going to scale?

One of the tools that can help you get the investment you want is scaling. Your business idea may start generating money, but it needs room to grow. Not all business ideas will grow after they start making money. Does your business plan consider the big picture?

Conclusion – The Right Questions

Asking these questions will help to define your business plan and make it clear that you’ve considered exactly how it’s going to make money, where it fits in, and its long-term future. These questions will make it much more likely that investors are going to want to invest in you.